Pipes buried deep beneath the city streets transformed the lives of thousands of working people, bringing millions of gallons of clean water.

Now the cast-iron water pipes running under Edge Lane are to be ripped out and replaced.

Steve Binns MBE, Liverpool council historian said: "These pipes helped save the lives of thousands of Liverpool people. Before these pipes brought fresh water into the city many people died from cholera, typhoid and dysentery.

"Water was expensive and had to be bought in jugs from only two water companies in the city."

The council paid for the pipes, which were laid in 1882, and brought water from lake Vyrnwy in North Wales.

Water was treated at Oswestry, Shropshire, before it was pumped through the 21in diameter pipes and into houses or shared courtyards.

The work on Edge Lane, which starts next week, is the latest stage in a #2.5m scheme to replace 32km of water mains in the Wavertree and Old Swan areas of Liverpool. The project started eight months ago and should be finished in October.

Work on the Edge Lane and Durning Road phase will cost around #400,000 and will take 32 weeks to finish. Engineers dig down to the old main,a section at a time, and then feed the new plastic version through the middle.

John Taylor, United Utilities project manager, said: "This main has done an amazing job supplying water to the city for well over a century, but it now needs replacing.

" We realise that many motorists who will have their daily journeys delayed won't benefit directly. But we would ask that they appreciate these are essential improvements."